Carrying Light Through Shadows: How Trauma & Neurodivergence Shaped My Path

Being a trauma survivor and a neurodivergent soul are not just parts of my story—they are the very lenses through which I experience the world. For a long time, these aspects of myself felt heavy, like weights I had to carry alone. Trauma left me feeling fractured, and my neurodivergence often made me feel “different” in ways I didn’t yet have language for.

But over time, I began to understand that these very experiences have also been my greatest teachers. Trauma showed me the depth of human resilience, and how healing is never linear but always possible. Neurodivergence gave me a unique way of sensing the world—heightened intuition, deep empathy, and the ability to notice the subtleties in energy and connection that others might pass by.

Living at the intersection of both has taught me that healing is not about erasing the past or fixing what is “wrong,” but about learning to carry our truths with gentleness. It’s about reclaiming power from the very places we once felt powerless, and embracing the unique ways our minds and spirits are wired.

Today, when I sit with others in their healing, I bring that lived experience with me. I know what it feels like to walk through the shadows and to still seek the light. I know what it means to need a safe space where you can be wholly yourself—trauma, neurodivergence, sensitivity, and all—and to find compassion instead of judgment.

What shaped me through hardship now allows me to hold space for others with depth, authenticity, and unwavering empathy. My journey has not been easy, but it has carved a path that allows me to walk beside others as they discover their own resilience, their own wisdom, and their own light.

Rooting Into the Forest: A Grounding Practice

The forest holds a quiet magic we often forget—the trees breathe alongside us, transforming sunlight and soil into the oxygen that sustains our every breath. This process reminded me of our energy and the cycle of cleansing and renewing. This practice is a simple way to return to your body, root your energy, and reconnect with yourself through the wisdom of the trees.

 🌲 The Visualization

Imagine yourself stepping into a quiet forest. Towering trees rise above you, their branches stretching wide, leaves whispering in the breeze. Beneath your feet lies a soft floor of moss, wildflowers, and rich, damp earth. The air is alive with birdsong and the grounding scent of soil.

You rest against the trunk of a great tree, breathing deeply. With each inhale, calmness enters; with each exhale, your body softens into the earth. You notice the tree’s roots stretching outward, connecting everything in their path. You, too, send down invisible roots—breaking through the soil, reaching deeper, weaving with the roots of nearby trees.

The tree draws water, nutrients, and sunlight, transforming them into clean, life-giving oxygen. As you breathe in, imagine drawing that oxygen and light into your body. As you breathe out, release what no longer serves you—old toxins, heaviness, limiting beliefs, self-doubt—the carbon dioxide of your energy, trusting the tree to absorb and transmute it.

In a perfect symbiotic relationship, you and the tree sustain one another. Your release becomes its nourishment, and its gift of oxygen renews and restores you.

This is the truth of energy: everything within us and around us is alive with it. When we pause, ground, and notice, we remember that we are not separate from the world—we are in constant relationship with it. In every breath, there is an invitation to cleanse, renew, and reconnect with your higher self.